Episode 3

The Texas Senate primaries are a month away with both sides still a toss-up. Who's going to win, and does Texas finally have a chance of turning purple?

In this episode, we cover:

• Is Texas becoming a purple state, or are Democrats fooling themselves? With two interesting primaries on both the Republican and Democratic sides, we break down why the Texas Senate race has gone national, why Emerson's polling is a major outlier showing James Talarico up double digits, and whether the Beto comparisons actually hold up. Plus, what a Trump endorsement could do to the GOP field. - Economic fairness vs. economic growth: What's behind the shift?
• A new Rasmussen poll shows the 21-point margin favoring economic growth has nearly vanished. We analyze whether Trump's populist language is driving Republican voters toward "fairness," what it means that people feel left behind despite strong stock market numbers, and how the parties' economic coalitions are realigning.
• Our latest Overton Insights Utah Poll results: From housing policy to the Jazz, we dig into what was suprising and what was totally expected. The majority of Utahns support accessory dwelling units in their neighborhood, back micro schools, and overwhelmingly support privacy protections.

Emerson Texas Senate Poll: https://emersoncollegepolling.com/texas-2026-poll/

Rasmussen Economic Fairness Poll: https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/general_business/rising_concern_for_economic_fairness

Overton Insights Utah Poll: https://overtoninsights.com/poll/overton-insights-poll-utah-january-2026/

The Polling Alley features Mark Cunningham, the Overton Insights Poll Director and founder of the Beacon Poll, alongside Michael Melendez, co-founder and pollster at Tactical Campaigns.

The Polling Alley is hosted by Overton Insights Poll Analyst, Olivia Michiels.

Want to stay ahead of the data curve?

Subscribe to The Polling Alley and join us as we decode the numbers behind the headlines.

Follow us on X - @OvertonInsights

Visit our website - OvertonInsights.com

Explore our latest poll - Overton Insights Utah Statewide Poll: https://overtoninsights.com/poll/overton-insights-poll-utah-january-2026/